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Southern District of New York

Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
$3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Westchester Business $3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Westchester Business
$3.4M Scheme: Ex-Controller Admits To Embezzling Family-Owned Westchester Business A senior member of a family-owned company has admitted to embezzling more than $3.4 million from the business over five years. According to court filings released on Thursday, Oct. 10, John Hickey, age 34, created false invoices that appeared to be from entities with which the Northern Westchester-based corporations did business from February 2018 to November 2023. The company, located in Armonk, manufactured flame retardant fabrics. Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Hickey then forged signatures that supposedly approved payment of those invo…
Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams
Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams Federal authorities released the indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, Sept. 26, laying out their case for corruption, bribery, and misuse of public funds, reports said.  Federal investigators have charged the 64-year-old Democrat with five counts, including conspiracy to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud, and bribery, said Damian Williams, the US. attorney for the Southern District of New York in a news conference.  Click here to read the complete indictment from the SDNY. Here is what those allegations are as summari…
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit Following his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, a woman has filed a lawsuit against hip-hop mogul and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting her while recording it on film.  In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, Sept. 24, Thalia Graves accused Combs of spiking her glass of wine and rendering her unconscious before raping her in a studio in Manhattan.  According to the lawsuit complaint, Graves met Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchest…
Alleged $1.3M Scam: NY Man, Kubient CEO Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors Alleged $1.3M Scam: NY Man, Kubient CEO Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors
Alleged $1.3M Scam: NY Man, Kubient CEO Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors A New York resident who was the chief executive officer of digital advertising technology company Kubient fabricated documented and misled investors and auditors, according to federal authorities. The scheme by Long Island resident Paul Roberts, age 48, of Melville caused Kubient to improperly recognize more than $1.3 million in fraudulent revenue in Kubient’s financial statements at the time of the company's initial public offering, according the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. Roberts was charged this with one count of securities fra…
Westchester's  Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Charges: Feds Westchester's  Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Charges: Feds
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Now Facing Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Charges: Feds Following several lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and other abuses, successful hip-hop producer and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs now faces federal sex trafficking charges, officials announced.  Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon, was arrested on Tuesday morning, Sept. 17 on a three-count indictment, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, beginning as far back as 2008, Combs ran a criminal enterprise that involved sex trafficking, forced…
Powerful NY Attorney, Wife Missing After Luxury Yacht Capsizes Off Coast Of Italy: Reports Powerful NY Attorney, Wife Missing After Luxury Yacht Capsizes Off Coast Of Italy: Reports
Powerful NY Attorney, Wife Missing After Luxury Yacht Capsizes Off Coast Of Italy: Reports A New York attorney with Connecticut roots and his wife are among seven people missing after the yacht they were on capsized early this week in Italy, according to multiple reports. Christopher Morvillo, age 59, who attended the Canterbury School in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and later Fordham University, along with his wife, Neda Morvillo, age 57, are among six people who are unaccounted after the 184-foot luxury yacht overturned off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning, Aug. 19, according to ABC 7. Twenty-two people were on board the ship at the time of the incident near Palermo, ac…
Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices
Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices A Northern Westchester man has been accused of threatening to kill US Postal Service employees and burn down post officers. Ossining resident Anthony Alfano, age 46, was arrested in Yorktown Heights on Friday, July 19, after making violent threats against USPS employees and threatening to burn down US post offices in Ossining, according to federal authorities.  The threats were made amid frustrations over a delayed parcel containing cremated remains from Florida, according to Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. According to court filings, Alfano th…
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Subject Of New Federal Criminal Investigation: Report Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Subject Of New Federal Criminal Investigation: Report
Westchester's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Subject Of New Federal Criminal Investigation: Report A federal criminal investigation is focusing on well-known hip-hop artist and longtime New Yorker Sean "Diddy" Combs, according to a report by NBC.  Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchester County in Mount Vernon, was told that he is a focus of an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York, NBC reported.  The outlet added that as part of the probe, a federal grand jury is hearing evidence. There is nothing to suggest that charges are coming, though.  Combs has not received a lett…
Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography
Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography An adult film actor who resides in New York has been accused of sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography, federal authorities announced. Justin Heath Smith, who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” sent images depicting children as young as infants, "including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped," said Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In addition to sharing child pornography via the Telegram app, the 43-year-old Smith was also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos conta…
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say $185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say
$185M Scheme: NY Trio Nabbed For Defrauding 1,400 Investors, Feds Say Three New York men have been charged in connection with a $185 million fraud scheme involving over a thousand investors, federal authorities announced. The three are Long Island resident Mario Gogliormella, age 47, of Manhasset; and New York City residents Steven Lacaj, age 27, of Manhattan, and Karim Ibrahim, age 34, of Queens, also known as “Chris Hayes." “By allegedly raising approximately $185 million from over 1,400 investors, Mario Gogliormella, Steven Lacaj, and Karim Ibrahim left a trail of shattered trust and financial ruin," US Attorney for the Southern Distric…
19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Westchester, Threatening Them 19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Westchester, Threatening Them
19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Westchester, Threatening Them A 19-year-old man faces years in prison after he was caught trafficking migrants in Northern Westchester, federal officials said. Mario Elpidio Chavez Millan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to charges connected to his smuggling of people who illegally entered the United States as well as his participation in a kidnapping scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday, May 7.  According to federal officials, on July 10, 2023, New York State Police in Cortlandt received a report from a person who said their relative had entered…
Dobbs Ferry Man Caught With Trove Of Stockpiled Firearms, Bomb Materials, Feds Say Dobbs Ferry Man Caught With Trove Of Stockpiled Firearms, Bomb Materials, Feds Say
Dobbs Ferry's James Neff Caught With Weapons Arsenal: Feds A 61-year-old Westchester man with a previous conviction once again faces charges after authorities discovered a trove of stockpiled firearms, ammunition, and explosives materials during a search of his home and storage units, federal officials said. James Neff, who resides in Dobbs Ferry, was taken into custody on charges related to weapons possession. The arrest was made on Thursday, May 2. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed that a search of his home and two storage units yielded a significant number of firearms and materials that could be used t…
Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme: Pair Of Former Execs In Westchester Sentenced Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme: Pair Of Former Execs In Westchester Sentenced
Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme: Pair Of Former Execs In Westchester Sentenced Two former high-ranking executives have been sentenced for stealing millions of dollars from their employer in Westchester County through a fraudulent scheme involving sham companies and fake invoices. The two worked at OrthoNet, a healthcare claims processing company based in White Plains. Shawn Rains, age 57, of Le Bouscat, France, who was previously convicted of mail fraud conspiracy, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy after a two-week trial, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Northern Westchester resident Joseph Maharaj, age 42, of Goldens Bridge, had pl…
$1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced $1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced
$1.7M Covid-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced A mother-daughter duo has been sentenced to prison for defrauding the government of approximately $1.7 million.  Westchester County residents Alicia Ayers and her mother, Andrea Ayers, both of Mount Vernon, were found guilty of submitting more than 300 fraudulent applications for US Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans.  Andrea Ayers was a former Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Mount Vernon Police Department. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program to provide low-interest …
Former NYPD Officer Admits Selling Narcotics In Yonkers Former NYPD Officer Admits Selling Narcotics In Yonkers
Former Nypd Officer Admits Selling Narcotics In Yonkers A former New York City Police officer has admitted to selling packages containing heroin and fentanyl in Westchester, federal officials announced. Bronx resident Grace Rosa Baez, age 38, pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges on Tuesday, April 16, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  Earlier Report- Police Officer, Westchester Man Nabbed For Planning To Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin: Feds According to federal officials, Baez, who joined the NYPD in 2012, was placed on modified duty in 2020 after alleged misconduct and was soon subject…
Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader
Former Nypd Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader A former New York City Police officer from Northern Westchester will spend years in prison for warning gang members about a federal investigation into their activity as well as helping the group's leader escape arrest for murder, officials said.  Mohegan Lake resident Gina Mestre, age 33, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and helping the group's leader evade justice for murder, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, March 29. Earlier Report - Former N…
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Westchester Man Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Westchester Man
Man Gets Prison Time For Operating Cocaine Delivery Service: Caused Death Of Westchester Man A 41-year-old man will spend more than a decade in prison for operating a cocaine courier service that delivered fentanyl-tainted cocaine to a Westchester man, causing his death.  Florida resident Jose Luis Tejada Aybar of Miami was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to 12 and a half years in prison for operating the Cab Louie Delivery Service, which brought cocaine to customers in the Bronx and Westchester, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, Tejada Aybar began the delivery service in March 2018. To order…
Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos
Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos is taking his beef with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to federal court. In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York on Friday, Feb. 16, the ex-Republican lawmaker accused Kimmel of copyright infringement and fraud for a series of personalized videos the talk show host commissioned from him on the website Cameo. The 35-year-old Santos began selling video shout outs on the site following his historic ouster from Congress amid federal criminal charges. Earlier Report: US House Expels Nassau Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote K…
Westchester Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds Westchester Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds
Westchester Man Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Boy Gets More Charges: Feds More details have emerged about a Northern Westchester man accused of sexually exploiting a teenage boy, federal officials announced.  Bedford Hills resident James Collins Jr., age 67, was arrested on sexual exploitation charges on Wednesday morning, Jan. 24, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, Collins tried persuading an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old boy to meet him at a library in New Castle to engage in sexual activities.  Earlier Report - Man Engages in Sexua…
$1.5M Fraud: Hudson Valley Man Lied To Investors About Being Licensed Broker, Feds Say $1.5M Fraud: Hudson Valley Man Lied To Investors About Being Licensed Broker, Feds Say
$1.5M Fraud: Hudson Valley Man Lied To Investors About Being Licensed Broker, Feds Say A Hudson Valley man faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly lying to investors that he was a licensed investment broker and making off with more than $1.5 million of his customer's cash.  Rockland County resident Jeffrey Tognetti Jr., age 26, of Piermont, was charged on Thursday, Aug. 31 with wire fraud, said Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. As alleged in public court proceedings in White Plains feral court, Tognetti ran a scheme that solicited and obtained funds from victims based on the misrepresentations that, among other things,…
Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering
Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering Six members and associates of the Genovese organized crime family, including a Westchester man and a Fairfield County resident, have been sentenced on racketeering charges, federal officials said.  The sentencings were announced on Friday, Aug. 4 by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams.  According to Williams, the six men were associated with the Genovese Organized Crime Family, part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names such as "La Cosa Nostra" and the “Mafia."  Those sentenced included two "captains," who were r…
$30M Insider Trading Case: Hudson Valley Duo Profited From Pharmaceutical Merger Info, Feds Say $30M Insider Trading Case: Hudson Valley Duo Profited From Pharmaceutical Merger Info, Feds Say
$30M Insider Trading Case: Hudson Valley Duo Profited From Pharmaceutical Merger Info, Feds Say Four men from New York and Massachusetts, including a police chief, are accused of making millions of dollars through an insider trading scheme involving one pharmaceutical company’s acquisition of another. The case, announced by the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, June 29, is one of four separate insider trading cases that reportedly generated a combined $30 million for those involved. Named in the case are: Shawn Cronin, age 43, of Dighton in Bristol County, Massachusetts and chief of the Dighton Police Department Joseph Dupont, age 44, of Rehoboth…
COVID-19 $14.7M Scheme: Westchester Duo Tried Stealing From Relief Program, Feds Say COVID-19 $14.7M Scheme: Westchester Duo Tried Stealing From Relief Program, Feds Say
Covid-19 $14.7M Scheme: Westchester Duo Tried Stealing From Relief Program, Feds Say Two men from Westchester and a Long Island woman face charges after participating in a more than $14 million scheme to steal from a program created to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials said.  New Rochelle resident Glenroy Walker, age 65, Mount Vernon resident Gary Wheeler, age 46, Freeport resident Sherril Baez, age 50, and three others are charged with scheming to steal more than $14 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday, June 6.  The …
Ex-Teacher From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children Ex-Teacher From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children
Ex-Teacher From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children A former teacher from Westchester will spend decades in prison for sexually abusing a young child who he had been tutoring in their own home, federal officials said.  Tuckahoe resident John Mueser, age 72, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for enticing a seven-year-old child that he had been tutoring to engage in sexual activity, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, April 19.  Earlier Report - Westchester Tutor Charged With Sexually Exploiting Minor, Transporting Child Porn According to federal officials, Mueser, who had be…
$52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company $52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company
$52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company Ten people have been charged in connection with a massive scheme to defraud a leading cargo airline based in New York of tens of millions of dollars in revenue and the services of its employees, federal authorities announced. The 10 charged are: Connecticut resident Abilash Kurien, age 45, of Wilton in Fairfield County; Hudson Valley resident Carlton Llewellyn, age 55, of Highland Mills in Orange County; Long Island resident Robert Schirmer, age 58, of Port Jefferson Station; Queens resident Patrick Lau, 43, of Flushing; Lars Winkelbauer, age 47, of Bangkok, Thailand; Skye …
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims $8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims
$8M Fraud Scheme: Westchester Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims A Westchester man will spend years in prison after billing more than $8 million in false transportation service claims as part of a multi-million-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme.  Yonkers resident Julio Alvarado, age 63, was sentenced to 95 months in prison on Wednesday, March 29 for leading the scheme which ended up defrauding Medicaid out of millions of dollars, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Alvarado was responsible for billing more than $8 million in fraudulent transportation services for Medicaid…
Bankruptcy Fraud: Former Attorney From Westchester Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say Bankruptcy Fraud: Former Attorney From Westchester Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say
Bankruptcy Fraud: Former Attorney From Westchester Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say A former attorney from Westchester faces possible prison time after allegedly submitting false bank records to bankruptcy court in an effort to keep his multi-million dollar home and Aston Martin sports car, federal officials said.  Bronxville resident John Roesser, age 52, was arrested on Tuesday morning, March 28 on charges that he allegedly lied to bankruptcy court and the Internal Revenue Service about receiving millions of dollars in order to receive bankruptcy protections while still keeping his assets and not paying his bills, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Souther…
Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say
Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say A Westchester man who had expressed support for radical Islamic extremism faces prison time after allegedly making repeated threats to kill police officers and a mayor, officials said.  Yonkers resident Ridon Kola, age 32, was arrested on Friday, March 17, and charged with making threats to kill members of the city's police department and the city's mayor, Mike Spano, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  Kola first allegedly started making the threats on Nov. 19, 2021, when he posted a message in Albanian on a Yonkers PD official social med…
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud $65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former NY Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud A former bond trader and hedge fund manager in New York could spend decades in federal prison for defrauding his friends and lending institutions out of over $65 million. Nassau County resident Jeffrey Parket, age 59, of Great Neck, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, Feb. 15. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District, Parket swindled his victims out of millions of dollars between 2016 and December 2021 by lying about his financial condition and pledging fake collateral in order to obtain short-term loans. He claime…
Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors
Accused NY Fraudster Agrees To Forfeit $248M He Allegedly Racked Up From Thousands Of Investors A New York man admitted to committing fraud and has agreed to forfeit to the US government hundreds of millions of dollars he's accused of racking up from tens of thousands of investors until his arrest less than a year ago. Long Island resident Eddy Alexandre, age 50, of Valley Stream, the leader of a purported cryptocurrency and foreign exchange trading platform called EminiFX, solicited more than $248 million after making false representations in connection with the EminiFX trading platform, the Southern District of New York, announced on Friday, Feb. 10. According to the allegations in …